Topic: Top commander says U.S. force levels to remain steady in Iraq

Team Infidel

Media: The Associated Press
Byline: By LOLITA C. BALDOR
Date: 19 September 2006


WASHINGTON_The U.S. military will likely maintain the current force levels
of more than 140,000 troops in Iraq through next spring, the top US.
commander in the Middle East said Tuesday.

Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. Central Command, said the current
number of troops "are prudent force levels" that are achieving the needed
military effect.

His comments came as U.S. political leaders continue to face declining
public support for the war in Iraq, as they head into congressional
elections Nov 7.

Late last year, military leaders had said they hoped to reduce troop levels
to about 100,000 by the end of this year. But Abizaid said Tuesday that the
rising sectarian violence and slow progress of the Iraqi government made
that impossible.

"I think that this level probably will have to be sustained through the
spring," he told military reporters. "I think that we'll do whatever we have
to do to stabilize Iraq and Afghanistan and use the military power of the
U.S. to do that."

There are currently 147,000 U.S. forces in Iraq.

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